If you’re spending a lot of your time in your home office, it’s important to create a dedicated work space that feels functional and stylish. We spoke to YES Glazing to get some advice on how to stay perfectly productive at home.

1. The chair

Image: Cult Furniture

When you work from home, it can be incredibly tempting to set up shop on the sofa in front of the TV. While this can be a great temporary solution, it doesn’t make for a productive work-at-home environment.

Create a dedicated space and invest in comfortable furniture. You’re going to want to choose a chair that is the right height for your desk and for you, while providing proper back and arm support.

2. The lighting

Image: Cox and Cox

The lighting in your office can have a huge impact on your productivity and your wellbeing, and the road to improvement may actually mean turning the lights off.

Tom Ellis, Managing Director of YES Glazing says: “Natural light is the best way to go. Not only will it not cost a penny, but it’s also much better for your mental health. A survey conducted by Future Workplace found that 43% of people felt gloomy because of the lack of natural light, and 47% said they felt very tired.”

The placement of lighting is also very important. To reduce eye strain, optimum light placement is directly over your reading area, above the computer and behind you, while ensuring there is no glare or reflection off your monitor.

3. The desk

Image: John Lewis & Partners

Your desk is a key element to your home office and is important for your productivity levels. Take your time in choosing one that’s going to work for you in the long term.

It’s a good idea to draw out a rough floor plan on graph paper and take some measurements of the space available, as well as the sizes of furniture you’re working with.

4. The layout

Image: Swoon 

‘Tidy desk, tidy mind’! Clutter can be incredibly distracting and can stop you from being productive. Instead, get yourself organised and sort through your supplies. Put anything extra into a drawer.

If you like putting your feet up, consider investing in a small footstool. Or, if you do like to take a little breather, why not style up your home office with an accent chair that can be used to sit back on when you’ve got 10 minutes to relax.

5. The working day

Image: Cathryn Lavery

Now you’ve got your surroundings set up exactly the way you want them, it’s time to turn your attention to how you’re going to structure your working day.

It’s important to have a plan of action on what you want to achieve that day. Also, make sure to take regular breaks.

When you work from home, face-to-face contact is one thing you miss out on and you will still need to socialise to be as rproductive as possible, so getting out the house is recommended.

What are your top tips to stay motivated when working from home? How would you incorporate it into your home? Let us know on social! Tweet us @goodhomesmag or post a comment on our Facebook page.